Vibratory sea anchor driver



Dec- 24, 1968 T. B. EDWARDS VIBRATORY SEA ANCHOR DRIVER Filed Sept. 27, 1967 United States Patent O 3,417,724 VIBRATORY SEA ANCHOR DRIVER Theodoric B. Edwards, deceased, late of Lorton, Va., by

Helen M. Edwards, executrix, Manassas, Va., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Sept. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 671,168 Claims. (Cl. 114-206) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is directed to embedment of anchors and, more particularly, to a driver to embed an anchor by using the resonant frequency of the driver and anchor coupled together by an electromagnet. A variable speed motor is used to impart reciprocating motion to the anchor through a converter means. Inactivation of the current that energized the electromagnet permits the driver to be recovered while the anchor remains embedded. An indicating means enables the operator, aboard a vessel to determine that the anchor has been embedded and to what depth.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalties thereon.

Field of the invention This invention is in the class of devices for anchoring oating bodies.

Description of the prior art Prior to my invention, permanent sea anchors depended upon weight for effectiveness or were embedded by diving or explosive techniques. The large anchors are expensive and placement is costly, -difiicult and time consuming. In diving techniques, elaborate diving equipment is required and a diver descends to emplant the anchor. In explosive anchors, dangers to personnel, line pay-out problems, arming and desensitizing problems and the recoil mechanism associated with explosive charges contribute to the hazards thereof.

Summary In order to embed an anchor for permanent installation, this invention provides for a vibrator driver which is attached to the top of an anchor by an electromagnet. The vibratory placement technique of this invention offers a simple and safe method of placing lanchors on the bottom of any body of water in any reasonable depth of water. This is accomplished by the resonant frequency of the driver-anchor combination being used as the frequency for vibrating the system. The substances around the anchor behave as though they are liquid and the system sinks to a desired level. Without the vibrations, the substances return to their solid state and hold the anchor firmly. The embedment depth indication is accomplished by placing photoelectric cells on the driver with a light shield placed in such a way that a light source is detectable until the light shield enters the surface of the embedded substance.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved anchor embedment means.

Another object of this invention is to provide an anchor driver utilizing resonant frequency for emplacement.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an anchor emplacement means which eliminates the need of a diver for emplacement.

A further object of this invention is to provide an 3,417,724 Patented Dec. 24, 1968 ICC Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of the anchor driver f this invention;

FIGURE 2 shows the separation of the driver from the anchor;

FIGURE 3 shows the digging end of the anchor as shown on line 3--3 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 shows an indicating means attached to the driver before embedment; and

FIGURE 5 shows the device of FIGURE 4 when embedded to a known depth.

Description of a preferred embodiment Referring now to FIGURE 1, anchor driver 10 is shown attached to anchor 11. In driver 10 is a variable speed motor 12 having a shaft 13. On shaft 13 is mounted a rotating disk 14 which, by being mounted at a suitable angle, imparts reciprocating motion to a vibrating plunger 15. Disk 14 is connected by Mitchell (or Kingsbury) thrust bearings 16 or alternatively by any other suitable vibration producing means. Disk 14 can be connected either directly to shaft 13 or through planetary gearing. The Mitchell thrust bearings 16 are mounted in a C- shaped extension 17 of the vibrator 15. The vibrator 15 has a very high moment of inertia and is dimensioned so as to impact with a surface 18 at the lower end of its run.

The motion of the vibrating plunger 15 is constrained from rotation by suitable keys, or other devices, and is forced by slanted disk 14 and bearings 16 to respond with true simple 'harmonic motion. Other means, such as a scotch yoke or even a crank and rod could be used to construct reciprocating motions. However, the slanted `disk 14 is preferred and allows the motor shaft to be vertical.

An electromagnet 19 surrounds a core 21 which extends downwardly from the vicinity of impact surface 18 to the spud 22. A non-magnetic plate 9 seals electromagnetic coils if required. A cable 20 is connected into the top of driver 10 to furnish electric power to the variable speed motor 12 and to activate electromagnet 19.

Anchor 11 has a flange 23 with a socket 24 defined therein. When the anchor 11 is mated with the driver 10, the Spud 22 is in socket 24. As long as the electromagnet 19 is activated, anchor 11 is secured to driver 10. Included in anchor 11 is an aperture 25 to which an anchor cable, not shown, is attached.

The bottom-most part of the anchor is a prong 26 which can be of any desired length to locate the anchor and can be driven into the surface at the bottom of the body of water to support the whole assembly in a more or less vertical position. Prong 26 is connected to anchor 11 through a reinforced structure 27 which is shaped so as to provide openings 28 and also providing for a continuous circular cutting edge 29.

FIGURE 2 shows the driver 10 with a spud 22 extending therefrom separated from anchor 11. Flange 23 is now separated from the electromagnet and the driver 10 is recoverable while leaving anchor 11 in the bottom of the body of water.

FIGURE 3 shows the circular cutting edge 29 at the 3 bottom of the anchor 11 with the reinforced structure 27 providing the openings 28 for the release of the bottom material resulting from the digging.

FIGURE 4 shows an addition of a sensing device, located above the driver 11. This includes a shaft 31 mounted on top of driver with cable 20 running therethrough. On shaft 31 are mounted light-sensitive devices 32, such as photocells, and a -light producing means 33 which is shielded by a cone 34 to pre 'ent light from being received at the photo cells 32 on a direct path. The diameter of cone 34 is the same as the diameter of cutting edge 29 and driver 10. Lights 33 are positioned above cone 34 and are directed outwardly radially. The outermost structure of lights 33 is located within a distance equal to the diameter of cone 34.

In operation, cable should be kept somewhat slack. Once prong 26 has contacted the bottom below the body of water, the variable speed direct current motor 12 is now started and its speed is adjusted to resonance; that is, at 1A; wave primary frequency, as previously determined for each drive anchor system. Due to wave action on the surface of the water, it is not feasible to determine penetration of anchor assembly by cable run-out. The structure shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 is provided to determine the anchor penetration depth. The lights 33 are directed so as to reflect a diffused light from the Water onto the photoelectric cells 32 and such information is transmitted through cable 20 to a station at the surface. When anchor 11 has been driven deep enough, cone 34 starts to enter the hole dug by the anchor. The light on photoelectric cells 32 is then blocked and this fact is registered at the surface. The anchor 11 and driver 10 are of the proper length so that when the no light fact is transmitted, the anchor has reached the proper depth. Should the bottom be a substance that requires a deeper penetration, the fact that the anchor had reached a known depth enables proper embedment. At any rate, when the assembly has reached a known common depth, a motor 12 and electromagnet 19 are deenergized. Since the driver 10 is the same diameter as the hole, it is easily hoisted to the surface by cable 20.

Cables attached through apertures are then lightened and by their action, expand or turn the anchor in such a manner as to sustain the load in accordance with the anchors design.

What is claimed is:

1. In an anchoring device,

driving means for emplanting an anchor means,

said driving means including a motor means, and

vibrating means within said driving means,

impact surface means within said Idriving means,

means for changing the motion of said motor means to lvibrating motion connected to said motor means and to said vibrating means so as to impact said vibrating means with said impact surface means,

electromagnetic means in said driving means and means for securing an anchor to said anchoring means electromagnetically when said electromagnet is energized.

2. The anchoring device as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said vibrating means imparts pure harmonic motion to said anchoring device.

3. The anchoring device of claim 1,

anchoring means, having a socket means, an anchor chain aperture means, a cutting edge and a locating Prong,

said socket means engaging said means for securing an anchor,

and means within said cutting edge for permitting the dug materials to pass therethrough.

4. The anchoring device as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said driving means includes a variable speed direct current motor with a driven shaft,

wherein said vibrating means includes a disk mounted on said driven shaft and disposed at a slant with respect thereto and a member having a high moment of inertia and a C-shaped extension thereof contacting said disk through a pair of bearings.

5. The yanchoring device of claim 1,

cable means connected through the top of said driving means,

light sending means mounted on said cable means,

light producing means mounted above said light sensing means,

and means for shielding light directly produced by said light producing means from said light sensing means and for shielding said sensing fmeans from all light when said cone enters the surface at the bottom of the body of water.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

